Untitled (water polo players in pool) c. 1950

Curator: Jack Gould’s small gelatin silver print, "Untitled (water polo players in pool)," pulls you right into the heart of the action. It’s like a sepia-toned memory. Editor: It certainly has an air of nostalgia. But I also see a particular rendering of masculinity—a collective, competitive spirit, framed within the confines of the pool. Curator: Right, the team dynamic. The energy is palpable; you can almost hear the splashing, the shouts. It’s primal in a way, this struggle for the ball. Editor: And what about the absence of individual identities? They are reduced to bodies, physical actors within a prescribed space, all vying for the same objective, revealing the depersonalizing aspects of team sports. Curator: I see it more as unity, a shared purpose. A dance of bodies, suspended in water. Editor: Perhaps, but who defines that purpose, and who benefits? It’s worth questioning. Curator: Absolutely, and perhaps the beauty is in that tension, the multiple readings we can draw from a simple image. Editor: Indeed. Gould’s photograph is a compelling prompt for exploring the dynamics of power, competition, and collectivity.